Chelsea ‘offered higher wages than Real Madrid’ in failed bid to stop Antonio Rudiger exit

Thomas Tuchel on Antonio Rudiger leaving Chelsea

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Antonio Rudiger has opted to swap Chelsea for Real Madrid despite receiving a larger offer from the Blues during talks between the two parties earlier this season, according to reports. Rudiger is said to have agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, with his current deal at Stamford Bridge set to expire in advance of the upcoming summer window.

Chelsea tried to extend Rudiger’s stay at the club but failed to reach an agreement with the German defender before their ability to tie down their existing stars was hampered when Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government back in March. It seems as though his weekly salary was not a major sticking point in negotiations, though, with the Blues having trumped Real Madrid’s offer but to no avail, according to Nizaar Kinsella.

It is claimed that Chelsea were prepared to pay a larger salary than the Spanish giants, who managed to clinch this season’s La Liga title with four matches to spare at the end of last month. However, the signing-on fee that was offered by those in power at the Bernabeu was simply too good for Rudiger to turn down.

The 29-year-old is now set to rubber-stamp his impending move to Real Madrid over the coming weeks, with an official announcement expected to be made after this month’s Champions League final against Liverpool, according to Fabrizio Romano. Rudiger is said to have already finalised an agreement to sign a four-year deal with Real Madrid and will pick up a weekly wage of around £180,000 during his time in the Spanish capital.

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Rudiger made up his mind to leave Chelsea a number of weeks ago but will likely remain a hugely important member of Thomas Tuchel’s squad between now and the end of the season. The Blues remain well-placed to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League with three games left to play and will be hoping to end their campaign on a high by winning the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how Chelsea will go about replacing Rudiger in their back three ahead of next season, with their transfer restrictions set to be lifted when Todd Boehly’s proposed takeover goes through in the not-too-distant future. Tuchel revealed on Tuesday that he remains in the dark over the club’s off-field situation but insisted that he feels things are finally going in the right direction in advance of the summer months.

“We are still waiting for news to inject some positive energy,” the Chelsea boss told reporters. “We’re the only club at the moment who suffers like this and maybe the first club whoever did this, it’s a situation that’s unique and quite challenging.

“Of course, everyone wants it to be clarified. These are steps in the right direction, we’ve been waiting for it for a long time because we need a positive energy and the competitive atmosphere as a club, that’s why it’s very important that things progress.”

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